Golf

Over recent years, Hartpury College has produced some excellent golfers and, as a result, has recently been selected by the England Golf Partnership to run an AASE programme in golf at the College.

The England Golf Partnership is comprised of the English Golf Union (EGU), English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) and the PGA, with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England. Its aim, through the implementation of its Whole Sport Plan, is to increase and widen the participation levels in golf and achieve a vision of being ‘The Leading Golf Nation in the World by 2020’ from grass roots right through to elite level.

The AASE has been designed to meet the needs of young players (aged 16-18), who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in golf and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal. Taking two-years to complete, the AASE framework will provide a structured national training and development route for talented young golfers, many of whom are hoping to progress into the professional ranks and possibly become world-class players.

The framework contains a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), which is fully reflective of the broad range of competencies required in professional sport. It is designed to directly measure your ability to apply yourself to professional development in the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of golf. Importantly it will also directly address wider issues, such as lifestyle, communication, wider career management and health and safety.

In recent years, golf has become a sport that encapsulates many components to ensure that players reach their potential; sports psychology, biomechanics and conditioning regimes, nutrition, custom fitting and new coaching techniques, as well as lots of practice, combine to ensure improvement for those with the desire and dedication to succeed.

Selection 

Membership to the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) scheme is based on a range of selection criteria, which includes performance in the 36-hole Golf Academy trials in September, previous golfing achievements, academic performance, current handicap, motivation and attitude.

The number of places on the AASE scheme varies each year between 10-15 students aged between 16 and 18 studying at Hartpury College on either the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport (Performance and Excellence in Golf) or A-levels.

Facilities

All our students benefit from our excellent on-site facilities, which include:

• an on-site undercover driving range (approximately 330 yards long)
• a 9-hole short game practice area
• a USGA specification putting green
• an all-weather Jack Nicklaus designed putting green
• a fully equipped gym
• a physiotherapy rehab suite

Benefits

Some of the main benefits of being an AASE student include:

• Daily coaching sessions by a full-time qualified PGA Professional, using the GASP video analysis system and Golf Autoscore Statistics System
• A day’s coaching at Cumberwell Park Golf Club once a term with England Boys U16’s Lead Coach and South West Boys Coach, John Jacobs
• Regular coaching sessions with Gloucestershire Golf Union’s Ladies and U16’s Lead Coach, James Latham
• Regular one-to-one and group sessions with Welsh Golfing Union Lead Psychologist, Matthew Ellis
• Two Biomechanics sessions a year with renowned Golf Biomechanist, Mark Bull
• A comprehensive physical screening analysis conducted by our full-time physiotherapists, who then produce individual fitness plans for our golfers
• Regular Strength and Conditioning sessions in the gym, conducted under the watchful eye of our full time Strength and Conditioning Coaches

If you have the professional approach, play at county or national level, have a handicap of 8 or below and would like details of our Careers Mornings to discuss and learn more about the AASE scheme, please send details of your golfing achievements and current handicap to richard.king@hartpury.ac.uk.